What a dog loves ... is to cry like a baby! (or, with a baby? You decide.)

This is too cute. My father-in-law finds the best "stuff" out there on the internet. This is a video of a babe and a pup ...

Was just visiting Cesar Millan's website and saw that he has a new DVD out called "Your New Dog: The First Day and Beyond."

I love his work. It works when I work it. Imagine that.

A couple weeks ago I was off for a walk with Jacky and Velvet and decided that NO-MATTER-WHAT I would walk with them according to Cesar's Way. Although I am a Dog Whisperer junkie I haven't been walking his walk. I've been excusing me and my pups.

Jacky's excuses include: He's a Jack Russell Terrier. Oh course he is hyper. I have to let him run all over the place to burn off the extra energy. He's this way because I don't have a fenced backyard for him to run around in. He's just visiting for a couple days. I can't change anything.

Velvet's excuses ... She's getting old, just let her be. She's been this way for 11 years - can't teach an old dog new tricks. She doesn't pull or jerk THAT much ...

My excuses ... too many to list!

Anyway, on that fateful day I wrapped each leash around my hand so they had to walk at my heels. I pulled my shoulders back, held my head high, keep my focus on where I was walking and relaxed - relaxed - relaxed.

Velvet did o.k. Jacky pulled and whined and squealed and struggled for most of the 45 minute walk. I kept my focus on breathing, relaxing and moving forward. The next day we were out walking for awhile before I noticed my miracle. Jacky's leash was relaxed and he was trotting by my side. SWEET!

... tears in my eyes. It is an awesome feeling to be a pack leader. Even better is the joy I felt at seeing Jacky happy and relaxed vs. anxious, unhappy and straining.

You know how they say that a dog is "man's best friend?" Well, we (starting with me) have to learn, grow and be their best friend.

Final note. Last week I showed Jacky's mom how easy it is to walk Jacky the Cesar way.

Passing it on ...

I have a word problem to figure out and it is a doozy. Remember the ones with two cars driving from here to there - one is going 50 miles and hour, the other 55 - how many hours will it take ...

Before I give you the problem, actually it is a dream, here are the facts.

1. 6-8 million cats and dogs enter shelters each year.
2. 3-4 million cats and dogs are euthanized by shelters each year.
3. 3-4 million cats and dogs are adopted from shelters each year.
4. There are approximately 6.5 million owned dogs in the U.S.
5. Most owners (65%) own one dog.
6. Eighteen percent of owned dogs were adopted from an animal shelter.
7. Seventy-two percent of owned dogs are spayed or neutered.
8. Average number of pups one fertile dog can produce in one year is 16.
9. There are approximately 77.6 million owned cats in the U.S.
10. 51% of cat-owning households own one cat; the remaining own two or more.
11. Average number of kittens one fertile cat can product in one year is 15.
12. Each day 10,000 humans are born in the U.S. and each day 70,000 puppies and kittens are born. As long as these birth rates exist, there will never be enough homes for all the animals. (Spay USA)

Now, that's the problem. I would Love to end up with a graph showing movement towards solutions. Please help me if you can ...

If we lowered the birthrate by 2%, 5%, 10% ...

If we converted 2%, 5%, 10% of the single dog and single cat owners into adding just one more ...

If we increased the percentage of spay/neutered households by 2%, 5%, by 10%

And, what if the number of dogs going into shelters was reduced by 2%, 5%, 10%?

How would the above tweaks to our present situation affect the "entering shelters" figure? How would that affect other figures?

*Note: About reducing "the # of dogs going into shelters." Many of the dogs I meet at my SPCA are in the 1-3 year age group. They lack manners, can be difficult to walk etc.

According to SPAUSA.org "Behavior Problems" is one of the Top 5 reasons dogs are returned to shelters. I assume their owners don't know what to do and feel overwhelmed by their dog. (I am not excusing this human behavior, just being factual.) It seems logical that increased owner education via teachers such as Caesar Milan "The Dog Whisperer," group classes like those offered by PetCO etc. could affect those numbers.

If you need more data for this project ... just let me know. These are 2 documents that supplied key data and raised questions:

Latest US Data Show Shelter Killing Down to 4.2 Million/year
http://www.spayusa.org/media/pdfs/companion_animals/article01.pdf

and
Spaying And Neutering: Myths vs. FACTS
http://www.spcala.com/pdf/hePresentation3&4.pdf

Dog Walking Log - Stepping Out For The SPCA

Last Wednesday I bought a pedometer to start logging my steps for the SPCA. (I am a volunteer dog walker - you could be too. Click here for typical volunteer opportunities at your local shelter OR to help out at ours.)

Anywhuuu on Wednesday, January 2ND I walked 9533 steps. Someday I'll figure out how that translates into miles. Right now I like the sound of steps! (BTW, the manual that came with my pedometer recommends that we walk a total of 10,000 steps a day.)

January 9 = 9880 Steps (Easily 10,000 steps for that day counting walking my Velvet and being up and about!)

January 16 = OPPs. Forgot my pedometer. Had a great walk just the same!

January 23 = 7879 - down a little. Didn't have as much time and just felt like taking it easier today. Listened to my body talk ...

January 30 = 9960. Wuu Huu!

Would you like to join the Dog Walkers? Just click here to locate and contact your neighborhood shelter. They - and the pups - would LOVE to meet you.

February 6 = 0. Out sick with the flu. Boo hoo.

By the way - I just determined that my average day which includes two 1/2 hour or so walks with my pup Velvet plus an errand or two plus sitting at my computer, making dinner etc. brings me in around 4900 steps. That is a lot less than I expected it to be ... I think I'll keep up my SPCA rendezvous!

February 13 = 9578 . Now this plus the above "norm" of 4900 puts me well above the 10,000 Step goal at least one day a week! (And I made a bunch of cool new friends yesterday! The pups have really been moving out quickly into GREAT homes. That makes my day just thinking about it.)

February 20 = 7069. I did more petting and connecting and brushing this week than vigorous walking. Also, I'd been to the dentist and had 3 teeth worked on ... This is not a competition and some days I need to take it easy. The fresh air and company did wonders for me!

Dancing with the Dogs!

Have you ever heard about the "Musical Dog Sport?" It was news to me until Melissa sent me this link to watch Carolyn Scott and Rookie dancing to "You're The One That I Want."

Too much fun! Click here to enjoy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HqbVbPvlDoM

What a dog loves ... is a comfortable place to nap.

I was just sent this jewel by my friend Jeannie. Enjoy!

An old, tired-looking dog wandered into the yard. I could tell from his collar and well-fed belly that he had a home. He followed me into the house, down the hall, and fell asleep in a corner.

An hour later, he went to the door, and I let him out.
The next day he was back, resumed his position in the hall, and slept for an hour. This continued for several weeks.

Curious, I pinned a note to his collar: "Every afternoon your dog comes to my house for a nap."

The next day he arrived with a different note pinned to his collar: "He lives in a home with ten children -- he's trying to catch up on his sleep. Can I come with him tomorrow?"

Don't breed Annie ... (opens up a pdf file)

Big thanks to Michelle Cascio, Outreach Assistant, Animal Sheltering Issues of The Humane Society of the United States, for bringing this remarkable piece to our attention.

If you are thinking about breeding your "Annie" PLEASE read-this-letter-first. Feel free to pass this onto a friend.

We talk about how a dog is "man's best friend." We can be theirs when we spay, neuter and adopt ...